


Mother's Day

by Fun_Sized_Owl



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age - Freeform, Family, Qunari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 01:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fun_Sized_Owl/pseuds/Fun_Sized_Owl
Summary: A special Mother's Day present.





	Mother's Day

Mother’s Day  
  
 **Characters: Kaaras Adaar, Aith Adaar, Aban Adaar  
Timeline: Sometime during Inquisition  
Warning: Contains profanity **  
  
  Making her way through the door of the farmhouse, Aith closed it behind her. “Mum, you got a letter,” she informed. She always picked up the ravens from Kaaras. Not a lot of people knew his sister was elven, so trying to follow her for a letter wasn’t something they really had to worry about. It kept their mother safe as well. While the woman was definitely a stern one, she wasn’t a fighter. With Kaaras’ position posing a potential threat on their lives, this was just the easiest and safest way to get mail to his family.   
  
  The elven girl flipped it over to see the seal upon the envelope. Inquisition insignia. “It’s from Kaaras.”   
  
  Aban had been fighting a losing battle with the mabari hound that wanted to play something called ‘fetch’ with her. Even with her many years down in Ferelden, there were still some things that eluded the woman. A dog fetching a stick? She supposed it was good enrichment, but she didn’t quite understand how it was meant to be fun.   
  
  Why Kaaras thought giving her a mabari hound was a good idea, she’d never know. What she did understand, though, was how caring her son was—and protective. He’d gotten that from both of his parents. If Anaan was alive to see him today… Maker, he would be proud.   
  
  She cursed to herself in Qunlat before Aith was in the doorway to her bedroom. The girl snorted and Aban’s expression flattened.   
  
  “You throw the stick outside, mum,” Aith said as she rolled her eyes. She patted her legs and Maxwell was up and across the room, the large dog barking happily before he leant up and sniffed the letter in her hand. Of course he could smell Kaaras on it. Probably all that perfume the man drowned himself in. He was such a girly man sometimes.   
  
  “Yeah, it’s from Kaaras.” The dog whined but she grabbed his collar and told him to sit with a stern command and a loud voice. Maxwell did so without hesitation. See, all he needed was a bit of confidence. Aban clearly hadn’t grown up around mabari.   
  
  “Here.” Aith made a few last steps to hand the older woman the letter, and Aban took it.  
  
  Even seeing the pretty, flowing handwriting on it was enough to cause Aban’s heart to ache for her son. She hadn’t seen him in what felt like years. Even before he had been named Thedas’ Inquisitor, he had not made it back home for some time.  
  
  Her fingers traced the ink before she turned the letter to see the seal, gently tugging at it. She hoped that it wasn’t any bad news, but with his work… she dreaded every day that she’d have a knock on her door—or a letter posted to her—with someone saying Kaaras had died. If she lost him… she didn’t know what she’d do. Losing Anaan had been enough. She couldn’t lose another.  
  
  Her whole life down here was because of her love for her son. She’d moved countries, crossed the ocean, and worked in poverty so she could try and put some dinner on the table, to make him grow.   
  
  Kaaras was not perfect, and she blamed herself for every one of those imperfections, especially when it came to his health and well-being. But even with his imperfections, she couldn’t be prouder. She had a hard working, selfless son who had turned into an even better man as he grew. How many mothers got to say that their son was the Inquisitor? Just the thought made her chest swell with pride, and yet, that worry always lingered in the back of her mind, like a snake in the grass, ready to strike.   
  
  Pulling the letter from the envelope, Aban unfolded it, being met with the familiar writing of her son:

_Dear mum,  
  
I’m writing this a few days ahead of Mother’s Day in hopes that it reaches you in time. I wanted to apologise for not writing as much as I should have. I know I’ve been busy, but even saving the world isn’t an excuse to not have written more.   
  
Words can’t even begin to say how much I miss you and Aith, and home. There’s not a day I don’t think about you two, and dad, of course. I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, I just wanted to be able to give back something for all you’ve given me.   
  
I know that we may not have come from much, but I’ve always admired and appreciated just how much you worked to provide for us. Adding another to the family made it hard, but you never thought once about that. All you ever thought about was putting a roof over our heads and putting a hot meal in our stomachs.   
  
I want to be able to give that back to you, to provide for you so that you are taken care of as well as you took care of us. It means I can’t always be home, and I will be away for long periods of time, but if that’s what it takes, then every minute is worth knowing that you are well taken care of. _  
  
  Aban felt the hot tears stinging her eyes, and she put a hand to her mouth to try and cover her crying, a stray tear falling down her cheek and onto the finely crafted parchment. She couldn’t even provide paper for Kaaras when he was little, and now he was writing on something as crisp and clean as the parchment in her very hands.  
  
  When Maxwell whined, Aith crouched down to take a hold of him, giving him a pat down the neck. She hated to see her mother cry like that. Even for someone like Aith, who came off crass and cruel, seeing Aban cry tears just hearing back from her son made her own heart break.  
  
  Wiping her eyes, Aban continued to read.   
  
 _I don’t say it enough, but I want you to know just how much I love and appreciate all you have done for me and my little sister. You have always encouraged us to be the best we can be. You had sleepless nights to take care of us when we woke from nightmares, and not once did you give up on us, especially me when I turned you away. I have you to thank for such patience in myself, for such strength when I need it. You have been the rocks to the foundation of this family, and I want you to know that anyone would be lucky to have you as their mother.  
  
I hope to see you soon. Take care of yourself.  
  
Lots of love,  
  
Kaaras. _  
  
  Lowering the letter, Aban sniffled, unable to stop the tears from running down her cheeks. Her vision blurred, tears latching onto her lashes as she pressed the letter to her chest. She could smell the colognes against the parchment, the smell of Kaaras, as if he were standing right there beside him. But he wasn’t. Just this piece of paper was all she had of him, aside from the belongings that remained in the loft upstairs.   
  
  “You’re going to smudge to letters if you keep crying.”   
  
  Aban’s ears flicked back. That was  _not_  Aith’s voice. She turned, eyes opening wide when she saw who stood, leaning against the threshold of the door.  
  
  “Kaaras!”   
  
  Kaaras leant up and embraced his mother when she came hurtling towards him. She was still taller than him by a few inches, but that just allowed for the best hugs. Nothing was as good, warm and loving as a mother’s embrace.  
  
  Wrapping his arms around her, he felt her squeeze him tight, her sobs now breaking through her body.  
  
  “You two…” she muttered, pulling out of his arms as he chuckled. “The both of you.” That sweet smile. Maker, how she had missed his smile, the brightness in his eyes. Just like his father. That lovely, childish gleam so bright when he was happy.   
  
  “Making your mother cry like that.” She swatted him with the letter, Maxwell finally being let go and the mabari barking and jumping happily up at Kaaras.   
  
  Kaaras just chuckled. “I did say I hoped to see you soon.”   
  
  They’d played her, and terribly so. She thought that she’d not see him again for months to come, or even hear from him via letter. But here he was, in person, and he looked so good and healthy. Aith hadn’t said a thing about his arrival, but she’d been a part of it. No wonder Maxwell had been whining. It made sense now. The dog had picked up on Kaaras being here before she even could.  
  
  Aban grabbed Kaaras by the cheeks, planting a motherly kiss on his forehead. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much, Kaaras.” She pulled him in for another tight hug, not wanting to let him go.  
  
  “Oh, please,” Aith muttered, poking her tongue out at the emotional display. That was until she felt the woman’s hand on her collar and was pulled into the embrace. She muffled against her mother’s clothes as she was stuck between the two, much larger, people.  
  
  “Alright, alright, I can’t frigging breathe down ‘ere!” Aith pulled herself from the grip and sucked down air. She did admit, it was good to see Kaaras again, and it was even better to see her mother so happy. Aban worked hard on the farm, but she knew she was lonely. She had been since they’d left, and since Anaan had passed away on that fateful night. Kaaras was going to flip when he found out that she was somewhat seeing someone else, though. Today wasn’t the day to tell him that, though. Today was a family day.  
  
  Pulling back out, Aban sniffed as she wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to gather herself once more.  
  
  “I missed you, too,” Kaaras said, putting his hand to her shoulder and offering her a calm smile. “I thought it was time to come back home, even if I can only stay for a couple of days.”   
  
  She didn’t want to let go of him, but she did, still trying to force the tears of joy back. Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek to look at him through still somewhat blurred vision. “A couple of days to see my son is better than none at all. I will take it.” She thanked the Maker for it, too.   
  
  “Now come, come! You must be starved. Let me make you up something.”   
  
  Kaaras took his mother’s arm carefully and stopped her. “Mum, it’s okay,” he laughed. Of course she was trying to make him food, trying to still pamper him and give him what she could. But today was for her. He’d come for her, to make her happy, to finally come back home.   
  
  “I’ve brought supplies with me. You’re not going to be cooking on Mother’s Day, so Aith and I have decided we’re going to spoil you. To show you our love and appreciation for everything you’ve done for us. And we’re aware you’re not familiar with a lot of Southern holidays still.” After all, why would the Qun celebrate Mother’s Day? “So, we’re willing to show you.”   
  
  Aith gave a wide grin then. “Yep! So we’re gunna make you cake, with honey, and we picked up some flowers from the markets when Kaaras arrived.”   
  
  Kaaras’ eyes halved as he looked at his sister. “Well, they  _were_  going to be a surprise…” he murmured. Seeing his mother’s smile was enough, though. It wasn’t like they’d never had a Mother’s Day celebration, but they had been late to the party considering his parent’s culture shock. It took years for them to realise birthdays were celebrated amongst humans.  
  
  “Oh, shite, yeah… Sorry,” the elf muttered. “S’pose they’re not anymore, but it’s the thought that counts, aye?”   
  
  Aban made a soft laugh. “It is, indeed.” But all she really needed was her family together to feel blessed. She didn’t need the flowers, or the cake, or the honey. All she needed was her family, and they were here. There was nothing else she could ever ask for.   
  
  “Alright then.” Aith clapped her hands together before she rubbed them. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She moved out of the room to collect the supplies Kaaras had brought with him—and the not-so-much-surprise flowers.   
  
  A little overwhelmed by it all, Aban wiped her eyes again, brushing her long, white hair behind her ears. “Thank you, Kaaras. For coming. You are the best present I could ever receive.” She didn’t know what else to say. She’d grown up in a land where things like this were not a part of her culture. Kaaras had taught her so much just by growing up here and interacting with the people, but there were things she’d never quite understand fully of this land.   
  
  Kaaras pulled her in for another hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I should have done it sooner,” he said, pressing his face into her shoulder. “Happy Mother’s Day, mum. I love you.” 


End file.
